GUIA CORDOBA ISLÁMICA 1 EDICION 2009

download GUIA CORDOBA ISLÁMICA 1 EDICION 2009

of 88

Transcript of GUIA CORDOBA ISLÁMICA 1 EDICION 2009

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    1/88

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    2/88

    2

    NN

    D

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    3/88

    3

    ISLAMIC CORDOBAThe tale of Islamic Cordoba, of Qurtuba, is the tale of its Emirs and its Caliphs;

    it is the tale of its most emblematic buildings, its streets, its people, its doctors, itsscientists and its philosophers. It is, in short, the story of f ive centuries in which thecity, like the rest of al-Andalus, became acquainted with classical culture throughthe early Renaissance promoted by the Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula.This historical period, which runs from the years 711 to 1236, definitely markeda before and after in the citys history, and, according to some historians, was amodel of intercultural coexistence. However, the idea of the City of the ThreeCultures has been questioned by others, who oppose this idealised notion of pea-ceful coexistence. The truth is that during the years of Islamic rule in Cordoba,

    Muslims, Jews and Christians shared the same liv ing space, although there were

    CRDOBA ISLMICALa historia de la Crdoba islmica, de Qurtuba, es la historia desus emires, de sus calias; es la historia de sus ediicios ms em-blemticos, de sus calles, de sus gentes, de sus mdicos, de suscienticos, de sus ilsoos. Es, en deinitiva, la historia de cincosiglos en los que la ciudad, como el resto de al-Andalus, conocia los clsicos gracias al Renacimiento precoz promovido por elIslam en la Pennsula Ibrica.

    Esta larga etapa histrica, que va desde mediados el ao 711 hastael 1236, marc sin duda el pasado y el presente de una ciudad,Qurtuba erigida por algunos como paradigma de la convivenciaintercultural. El concepto de la ciudad de las Tres Culturas hasido cuestionado por otros, opuestos a la idealizacin de una te-rica convivencia pacica. Y lo cierto es que durante los aos depoder islmico en Crdoba compartieron espacio musulmanes,judos y cristianos, aunque las dierencias sociales e incluso jurdi-cas de esos tres grupos ueron importantes.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    4/88

    4

    En cualquier caso, sobre la importancia que lleg a tener Qurtu-ba escribieron muchos de los intelectuales de la poca y no sloprocedentes de al-Andalus. Viajeros del siglo X, como la monjaalemana Roswita von Ganderheim, loaron su magniicencia, alairmar de la ciudad que era la Joya brillante del mundo, ciudadnueva y magnica, orgullosa de su uerza, celebrada por sus deli-

    cias, resplandeciente por la plena posesin de todos los bienes.

    still many important social, and even legal, differences which divided the threegroups.

    In any case, many of the intellectuals of the time - and not only those from al-Andalus - wrote about the important status which Qurtuba enjoyed. Tenth cen-tury travellers, like the German nun Roswita von Ganderheim, sang of its glories,

    saying the city was the shining Jewel of the world, a new, beautiful city, proud ofits strength, renowned for its delicacies, resplendent in the full possession of allits properties .

    PRESTIGE REGAINEDBut whatever the truth of the matter, Cordobas Islamic past is without doubt oneof the most widely known periods of the citys history. The permanent reminder of

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    5/88

    5

    Vista nocturna de Crdoba

    RECUPERAR EL PRESTIGIOPero sea como uere, el pasado islmico de la ciudad de Crdobaes sin duda uno de los aspectos ms popularmente conocidos dela capital. La permanencia del buque insignia del patrimonio cor-dobs, la Mezquita Aljama, ha permitido mantener en la memoriade los cordobeses su pasado rabe a lo largo de los siglos y an

    cuando la historiograa revisa hoy da conceptos como la inva-

    the Mosque, which holds pride of place in Cordobas monumental heritage, hashelped to keep the memory of Cordobas Arabic past alive over the centuries, and

    even today, when historians are revising their views on such concepts as the Mus-lim invasion or the Christian Reconquest, the essential details remain deeplyengrained in the popular imagination.The city we know today as Cordoba was named Qurtuba in the early eighthcentury, when Muslim troops came to power after crossing over from North Africavia the Straits of Gibraltar. First they reached Cadiz, and then in the year 711,the ancient city of Corduba. From then on, the city began one of the most glorious

    periods in its history, recovering again its key role as a state-builder, which ithad once enjoyed in the time of the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.Cordoba once again became a centre of power, but more importantly, it became

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    6/88

    6

    sin musulmana o la Reconquista en el saber popular permanecela sntesis de esa historia.La actual Crdoba se convirti en Qurtuba a principios del sigloVIII cuando la entrada de tropas procedentes del Norte de rica

    hacen eectiva la llegada de los musulmanes al poder, tras atrave-sar el Estrecho de Gibraltar, alcanzar Cdiz, primero, y a la viejaCorduba, despus, en el ao 711. A partir de entonces, la ciudadiniciara una de sus etapas histricas ms gloriosas, recuperando suprotagonismo y su hegemona en la construccin del Estado, como ya

    a focal point for culture, philosophy and science, and for the first time achievedinternational recognition.

    The city of Qurtuba grew amid the civil upheavals and the political and adminis-trative evolution of al-Andalus, the new state created by the Arabs in the IberianPeninsula. The new public buildings which were built, for administrative and po-litical uses, marked the different stages in its history, although today we tend totreat them as coming from one single era.

    THE BIRTH OF QURTUBAThe Islamic conquest of the old Visigothic Cordoba by the troops led by Mugital-Rumi, Tariq ibn Ziyads lieutenant, was not, according to the different sourcesavailable to historians, a particularly difficult task. On the contrary, the Visigo-

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    7/88

    7

    thic leaders, torn apart by internal strife, put up little resistance and abandonedthe city, which facilitated the citys conversion into a centre of Islamic power in

    the south of the peninsula. The troops from Africa took little time to set up theirpolitical and religious headquarters in the south-western sector of the walled city,which in 717 became the capital of the conquered territory in the peninsula.

    Historians have recently begun to analyze this supposed Islamic invasion froma different perspective, and now defend the idea that the citizens integrated per-

    fectly into a way of life which was e xtremely similar to their own.During these early years in Islamic Cordoba, the authorities , dependent on theregime in power in Kairouan (Tunisia), and therefore on the Caliphate of Damas-cus, set to work on restoring the citys damaged infrastructure and especially theold Roman bridge, which was repaired using stones from the city walls.

    ocurriera durante la romanizacin de la Pennsula Ibrica. Crdoba vuelvea convertirse en centro de poder, pero sobre todo en eje de la cultura, la filo-sofa y la ciencia, alcanzando una proyeccin internacional hasta entoncesdesconocida.

    El desarrollo de Qurtuba discurrira paralelo a las luchas polticas y almismo devenir poltico y administrativo de al-Andalus, el Estado crea-do por los rabes en la Pennsula Ibrica. La construccin de ediiciospblicos, tanto de carcter administrativo como poltico, marcara die-rentes pocas para llegar a nuestros das como un todo.

    Madinat al-Zahra

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    8/88

    8

    Lmparas Mezquita

    In those early decades, the city was ruled by governors dependent on Damascusand its people lived within the walled area coving about the same size as the

    Roman city. The Medina was therefore formed along the same lines , and the newauthorities occupied the same buildings as the previous rulers, in this case theAlcazar, or fortress. However, it was not long before the first suburb sprang upoutside the Medina. Built in 719 as a burial area, the suburb of Saqunda, situatedon the far bank of the river, eventually grew into one of the most highly populatedareas of the city.

    THE INDEPENDENT EMIRATEFollowing the arrival of the new regime, the city grew both in population and in politi-cal importance, and its leadership was consolidated mainly as a result of the political

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    9/88

    9

    EL NACIMIENTO DE QURTUBALa conquista islmica de la vieja Crdoba visigoda por parte de lastropas dirigidas por Mugit al-Rumi, lugarteniente de Tariq ibn Ziyad,no ue, segn las dierentes uentes que maneja la historiograa, es-

    pecialmente complicada. Ms bien al contrario, el abandono de la ciu-dad por parte de las autoridades visigodas, excesivamente preocupa-das por las luchas internas acilit la conversin de la ciudad en centrodel poder islmico en el sur de la Pennsula. Las tropas procedentes derica no tardaron de hecho en instalar el centro poltico y religiosoen el sector sudoeste de la ciudad amurallada, convertida en el ao717 en capital de los territorios peninsulares.

    En cualquier caso, lo cierto es que en esta primera etapa de la Crdobaislmica, las autoridades dependientes del poder establecido en Kairun(Tnez), y por tanto del Caliato de Damasco, decretan la necesidad derestablecer las inraestructuras perdidas y en particular el viejo puenteromano, empleando para ello piedra de lapropia muralla.En estas primeras dcadas, la ciudad

    estuvo regida por gobernadores depen-dientes de Damasco y su poblacin semantuvo en el interior del recinto amu-rallado reproduciendo el modelo de laciudad romana. La medina queda puesconstituida siguiendo el mismo esque-ma, ocupando las nuevas autoridadeslos mismos espacios que en etapasanteriores, concretamente el Alczar.Sin embargo no tardara demasiado enlevantarse el primer arrabal uera de lamedina. Construido en 719 como reauneraria, el arrabal de Saqunda, ubica-do al otro lado del ro acabara por con-vertirse en uno de los ncleos poblacio-

    nales ms importantes de la ciudad.

    instability of the Caliphate in Damascus. Its downfall, followed by the rise to power ofthe Abbasi dynasty and the flight to al-Andalus of the Umayyads sole heir, converted

    Qurtuba into a cornerstone in developing the new state, which Abd al-Rahman I declaredan independent Emirate in the spring of 756.From then on, Qurtuba became the official capital of al-Andalus and as such, was dee-med worthy of a comprehensive programme of architecture and urban planning, whichto a large extent survives to this day. The rebuilding of the walls and the bridge (766 AD)began during the emirate; the Alcazar (fortress) was built in 785 AD and, most impor-tantly, construction started for a new mosque (785 AD) on the site of a former Christiantemple. The layout of the public and religious buildings (for instance, the Mosque and theAlcazar were joined) repeated the pattern of other Islamic cities and perfectly symbolizedthe role of the Emir as the political and spiritual head of state.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    10/88

    10

    EL EMIRATO INDEPENDIENTETras la instauracin del nuevo rgimen, la ciudad ue creciendoen poblacin y en presencia poltica hasta consolidar su liderazgoen gran medida debido a la situacin poltica del caliato. Su de-rrocamiento, la instauracin de la dinasta abbas y la huida haciaal-Andalus del nico heredero omeya conluiran para convertir aQurtuba en pieza undamental para el desarrollo del nuevo Estado,conigurado como emirato independiente por Abd al-Rahman I, enla primavera del ao 756.Qurtuba es a partir de entonces la capital oicial de al-Andalus y comotal se hace merecedora de un amplio programa arquitectnico y urba-nstico heredado por la actual Crdoba. Es durante el emirato cuandocomienza la reconstruccin de las murallas y el puente (766 d.C.); seerige el Alczar (785 d.C.) y, lo ms importante, se comienzan las obrasde una nueva Mezquita Aljama (785 d.C.) sobre un antiguo templo

    cristiano. La disposicin de los espacios pblicos y religiosos (Mezqui-

    It was during the Emirate when, in the mid 9th century, the major building work on therestoration of the Emirs Palace (Alcazar) began, along with a range of urban improve-

    ments.However, the conversion of the city to Islam left its make not only in its major buildings,but also in the construction of smaller religious centres throughout the Medina. Thisnetwork of mosques extended as far as the suburbs, such as the one built beneath themodern-day Church of Santiago.Logically, the choice of Qurtuba as the capital of al-Andalus caused its population togrow and the city perimeter to expand. The suburbs - Saqunda and Sabular are the oldeston record further extended the provision of public buildings and services.The first of these suburban settlements was to play the leading role in one of the bloodiestchapters in the history of Qurtuba when, in the year 818, it led a popular rebellion against

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    11/88

    11

    ta y Alczar unidos) repiten el esquema de otras ciudades islmicas ysimbolizan a la pereccin el papel del emir como cabeza poltica y es-piritual del estado.No obstante, la islamizacin de la ciudad se deja sentir no slo en losgrandes ediicios, sino en la construccin de centros religiosos de me-nor tamao a lo largo y ancho de toda la medina. La red de mezquitasllega tambin a los arrabales extramuros, como la levantada bajo la quehoy es la iglesia de Santiago.Al in y al cabo, la ereccin de Qurtuba como capital de al-Andalushizo crecer su poblacin ampliando el permetro del ncleo urbano.Los arrabales Saqunda y Sabular son los ms antiguos documenta-dos amplan, pues, la disposicin de ediicios pblicos y de servicios.El primero de esos barrios periurbanos protagonizara uno de los ca-ptulos ms sangrientos de la historia de Qurtuba cuando en el ao 818decidi rebelarse contra el emir Al-Hakam I y ste respondi arrasndo-

    lo y prohibiendo su reconstruccin.

    the Emir Al-Hakam I. The Emir retaliated by razing it to the ground, and prohibiting anyfurther building on the site.

    The social organization of Qurtuba was also reflected in the urban distribution of thedifferent groups. Thus, while the Muslim community was centred mainly around the Me-dina, the Christian community, known as the Mozarabs, lived outside the city walls inareas linked to the churches and monasteries built in the Visigothic period. This has beendocumented in the case of the present church of San Pedro and area of the former imperialpalace of Maximianus Herculius, which was used as a burial ground.On the other hand, the ruling Islamic elite settled mainly around the political and reli-gious centre and built their homes either on the western edge of town or in the north, atthe foot of the mountains, where there were many farmsteads, some of which belonged tothe Emir himself.

    Poner pie de foto

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    12/88

    12

    La organizacin social de Qurtuba qued igualmente reflejada en la dis-tribucin urbanstica de los distintos grupos. As, mientras la comunidadmusulmana qued fundamentalmente organizada dentro de la medina,

    la comunidad cristiana -los mozrabes- habitaron fuera de las murallasen reas vinculadas a las iglesias y los monasterios construidos en pocavisigoda. As ha quedado documentado en el caso de la actual iglesia deSan Pedro y en el del complejo religioso que adapt el antiguo palacioimperial de Maximiano Herculeo, utilizado como rea funeraria.Por su parte, la lite islmica habit fundamentalmente en torno al cen-tro poltico y religioso y construy sus residencias en el extremo occi-dental de la ciudad y el norte, a los pies de la sierra, donde proliferaron

    almunias, alguna de ellas mandadas construir por el mismo emir.

    THE CALIPHATE OF CRDOBAThe year 929 is critical to our understanding of Cordobas Islamic past. It was then when

    the Emir Abd al-Rahman III declared himself Caliph, and Qurtuba became the capitalof the Caliphate, on a par with cities like Baghdad or Cairo. This status led inevitably toa revolutionary new era of urban planning, which included, by necessity, the constructionof a new city to symbolize the newly-acquired power of the state. Madinat al Zahra wastherefore created in the tenth century as the jewel of the Caliphate and led to the growth ofthe city towards the west, although both the Mosque and the Alcazar (fortress) preservedtheir role as centres of political and religious power. In fact, in the eleventh century, thepalatine city was wrecked by rampaging Berber troops, determined to smash this glorioussymbol of the Caliphs power. The same fate was met, too, by a second palace-city, Madi-nat al-Zahira, built by Almanzor at the other side of town, on the right hand bank of the

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    13/88

    13

    EL CALIFATO CORDOBSEl ao 929 resulta undamental para entender el pasado islmico deCrdoba. Es entonces cuando el emir Abd al-Rahman III se auto-proclama calia y Qurtuba pasa a ser capital calial, equiparndose

    a ciudades como Bagdad o El Cairo. Un rango que lleva irremedia-blemente aparejada una autntica revolucin urbanstica, en la quela construccin de una nueva ciudad, que simbolice el poder de esenuevo Estado, resulta undamental. Madinat al Zahra ser, pues, enel siglo X la joya del caliato y propiciar el crecimiento de la ciu-dad hacia poniente, aunque Alczar y Mezquita Aljama mantengansu valor como centros de poder poltico y religioso. De hecho, enel siglo XI, la gran ciudad palatina acabar siendo derruida por lastropas bereberes decididas a acabar con el mejor smbolo del calia.Una suerte que correra igualmente la segunda ciudad palatina le-vantada por Almanzor en el extremo opuesto, en la margen derechadel Guadalquivir, entre El Arenal y el ro, al otro lado de la autova:Madinat al-Zahira, la Ciudad Resplandeciente.Almanzor se instal en Madinat al-Zahira y laconvirti en el segundo centro administrativo

    y de poder del Caliato, hasta que ue saquea-da y destruida. Sin embargo, no quedan restosvisibles de la Ciudad Resplandeciente, sinotestimonios escritos de su riqueza y de sucarcter de sede administrativa del po-dero poltico y militar musulmn.Entretanto, la vieja medina sobrevive y,

    durante el caliato, continan de hecholas ampliaciones de la Mezquita en la quequeda deinitivamente erigido un granalminar. Adems, continan levantndosepequeos centros religiosos como los con-servados en el convento de Santa Clara, elFontanar o en la iglesia de San Lorenzo, yse reuerzan inraestructuras viarias como el

    antiguo Puente Romano.

    Guadalquivir, between the El Arenal area and the river, on the other side of the moderndual carriageway. It was here where Almanzor settled, after abandoning Madinat al-Za-

    hra, and where he established a second administrative centre of power in the Caliphate,until it was sacked and razed to the ground in April 1009.Although no visible remains survive of the Radiant City, there are written testimonies ofits wealth and its role as administrative headquarters of the powerful Muslim politicaland military forces.Meanwhile, the old Medina survived, and during the Caliphate, the extensions of theMosque carried on apace with the addition of a great minaret. Smaller centres of worshipcontinued to be built, such as those preserved in the Convent of Santa Clara, the Fontanararea or in the Church of San Lorenzo, and the main thoroughfares were strengthened,such as the former Roman bridge.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    14/88

    14

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    15/88

    15

    EL PRINCIPIO DEL FINLa vieja ciudad se convertir de hecho en centro de todas las ac-tuaciones posteriores, cuando la debilidad del caliato deriva enla ragmentacin de los reinos de Taias y propicia las posteriores

    invasiones almorvide y almohade, para terminar en 1236 con laconquista de la ciudad por parte de los reinos cristianos del nortede la Pennsula. En todos esos aos, Qurtuba queda circunscritaa la ciudad amurallada, incluido el arrabal de la Axerqua cons-truido en su interior, y as quedar durante la Baja Edad Media yla poca Moderna.

    THE BEGINNING OF THE ENDThe old city became centre stage for all the subsequent historical events, as the

    weakness of the Caliphate led to the fragmentation of the Taifa kingdoms andbrought on the subsequent Almoravid and Almohad invasions, terminating in 1236with the conquest of the city by the Christian kingdoms of northern Spain. Duringall those years, Qurtuba was limited to the walled city, including the suburb of theAxerqua built inside it, and this remained the same during the late Middle Agesand right up to modern times.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    16/88

    16

    CRONOLOGA

    Ao 711: Tarik desembarca en Gibraltar.

    Ao 717: Crdoba se convierte en capital de losterritorios dependientes de Damasco.

    Ao 756: Abd al-Rahmn I llega a Crdoba.

    Ao 773: Abd al-Rahmn I constituye el Emirato

    Independiente.Ao 785: Comienza la construccin del Alczar

    andalus.

    Ao 787: Comienza la construccin de la MezquitaAljama.

    Ao 788: Muere Abd al-Rahmn I.

    Ao 818: El arrabal de Saqunda se rebela contra Al-Hakam I.

    Ao 848: Finaliza la primera ampliacin de laMezquita.

    Ao 912: Asciende al trono Abd al-Rahmn III.

    Ao 929: Abd al-Rahmn III se proclama califa.

    Ao 936: Comienza la construccin de Madinat al-Zahra.

    Ao 951: Comienza la tercera ampliacin de laMezquita y la construccin de su alminar.

    Ao 961: Muere Abd al-Rahmn III; le sucede su hijoAl-Hakam II

    Ao 976: Hisam II asciende al trono.

    Ao 1010: Guerra civil entre partidarios de Hisam IIy los de Almanzor: Madinat al-Zahra esarrasada.

    Ao 1031: El Califato se disuelve definitivamente. Seconstituyen los reinos de Taifas.

    Ao 1136: Se construye la noria de la Albolafia.

    Ao 1236: Las tropas de Fernando III toman Crdoba.

    Ao 1984: La Mezquita Aljama es declarada Patrimoniode la Humanidad.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    17/88

    17

    CRONOLOGA

    Ao 711: Tarik lands in Gibraltar.

    Ao 717: Cordoba becomes capital of the peninsularterritories dependent on Damascus.

    Ao 756: Abd al-Rahman I arrives in Cordoba.

    Ao 773: Abd al-Rahman I creates the Independent

    Emirate.Ao 785: The construction of the Arabic Alcazar

    (fortress) begins.

    Ao 787: The construction of the Mosque begins.

    Ao 788: Death of Abd al-Rahman I.

    Ao 818: The suburb of Saqunda rebels against Al-Hakam I.

    Ao 848: The first enlargement of the Mosque iscompleted.

    Ao 912: Abd al-Rahman III starts his reign.

    Ao 929: Abd al-Rahman III is proclaimed Caliph.

    Ao 936: The construction of Madinat al-Zahra starts.Ao 951: The third extension of the Mosque begins

    and the minaret is built.

    Ao 961: Abd al-Rahman III dies and is succeeded byhis son Al-Hakam II.

    Ao 976: Hisam II comes to the throne.

    Ao 1010: Civil war breaks out between supporters ofHisam II and Almanzor: Madinat al-Zahra israzed to the ground.

    Ao 1031: The Caliphate is finally dissolved. The Taifakingdoms are formed.

    Ao 1136: The Albolafia water wheel is built.

    Ao 1236: The troops of Fernando III capture Cordoba.

    Ao 1984: The Mosque is declared a World Heritagebuilding.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    18/88

    18

    RUTA. RECORRIENDO QURTUBALa ciudad de Qurtuba permanece viva en las calles y ediicios dela actual Crdoba. Reconocerla slo requiere pasear por la ciudadprestando la atencin necesaria para reconocer la herencia de Al-

    Andalus. Esta gua le orece algunas claves para que la centenariaQurtuba se revele ante el visitante.

    1. Arrabal de Saqunda (Parque de Miraflores)Junto a la Torre de la Calahorra discurre en la actualidad el parque

    de Miralores y el barrio del Campo de la Verdad, ambos levan-tados sobre el que uera el primer y ms populoso arrabal de laCrdoba emiral, que se extiende a lo largo de 16.000 metros cua-drados. El arrabal de Saqunda, arrasado y roturado por el emir AlHakam I tras la revuelta sucedida en el ao 818, ue descubierto enla obras de urbanizacin del parque.Bajo el parque de Miralores se encuentran un sinn de casas einstalaciones de uso industrial y comercial de la Qurtuba de los

    primeros siglos. Se ha documentado adems parte del trazado

    ROUTE: ON THE QURTUBA TRAILThe city of Qurtuba lives on in the streets and buildings of modern-day Cordoba. You onlyhave to walk the city streets and keep your eyes open to recognize the legacy of al-Andalus. Thisguide offers the visitor a few clues to help them unravel the age-old mysteries of Qurtuba.1. The suburb of Saqunda (Miraflores Park)In modern-day Cordoba, the Calahorra Tower, Miraflores Park and the district of Campo dela Verdad all stand over the site of the first and most populous suburb of the Emirate of Cor-doba, which covered an area of over 16,000 square metres. The suburb of Saqunda, destroyedand razed to the ground by Emir Al-Hakam I after the revolt that took place in the year 818,was rediscovered when the park was being built. Below Miraflores Park, a large number ofhouses were found, alongside buildings for industrial and commercial use during the first cen-turies of Qurtubas existence. Moreover, we have been able to document the layout of the streets

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    19/88

    19

    urbanstico de aquel milenario barrioen el que algunas calles llegan a tener 6metros de ancho y 90 de longitud. Losmuros estn realizados con cantos ro-

    dados, material muy asequible debidoa la proximidad del ro, trabados en al-gunas ocasiones con tejas, ragmentoscermicos y piedra de calcarenita.Adems, la intervencin arqueolgicasac a la luz algunos pozos, que suplie-ron la carencia de un sistema de abaste-cimiento de agua limpia o desages deaguas ecales, y recogi un abundantematerial cermico, undamentalmentepiezas de uso cotidiano como ollas, ja-rras, tapaderas, candiles y grandes reci-pientes de almacenamiento.Relacionado con este arrabal se hadocumentado, adems, la existencia

    del cementerio musulmn Maqbaratal-rabad, undado en el ao 720 por elemir Al-Sahan, del que se recogen nu-merosas noticias a travs de los textosescritos y epgraes unerarios depo-sitados en el Museo Arqueolgico deCrdoba.

    2. Molino de San AntonioA travs del Azud de Culeb, que hayaguas abajo del Puente Romano, se llegaa los molinos de Enmedio o Jess Ma-ra, el de Don Tello o Ppalo Tierno y elde San Antonio, todos ellos originariosdel siglo XII. A dierencia de los otros

    molinos que se asientan en el cauce del

    that ran through the district a thousand years ago some of which were as much as 6 metres wideand 90 long. The walls were made of boulders, very easy to obtain with the river so close by, so-

    metimes interspersed with tiles, fragments of pottery and blocks of limestone. The archaeologicalexcavations also unearthed a number of wells, which made up for the lack a clean water supplyand a system of drains, and discovered a mass of pottery remains, mainly for everyday use, suchas pots, mugs, lids, lamps and large storage jars.The existence of a Muslim cemetery named Maqbarat al-Rabadn has also been linked inthe historical records to this suburb. It was founded in the year 720 by the Emir al-Sahan, andthere are numerous references to it in the written records as well as on funeral inscriptionspreserved in the Archaeological Museum of Cordoba.2. San Antonio Water MillPassing Culeb Weir, downstream from the Roman Bridge, we arrive at the water mills one

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    20/88

    20

    Guadalquivir, el molino de San Antonio se dedic exclusivamente a lamolienda de cereal, sin tener otros usos comunes como el de batanes oel de generacin de energa elctrica.En la dcada de 1960, el molino de San Antonio se utiliz como pe-

    queo astillero donde se construan barcas de madera como las que seutilizaban para cruzar el Guadalquivir desde el embarcadero prximoal Molino de Martos.El Molino de San Antonio constituye un mirador privilegiado sobre elparaje natural denominado Sotos de la Albolaia, lugar designado Mo-numento Natural por su importancia como lugar de asentamiento yavistamiento de aves. De hecho, est previsto que el molino albergueun centro de interpretacin de este singular espacio natural, de 21,36hectreas de extensin, que alberga una gran variedad de especies y espunto de migracin para muchas aves.

    3. Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus. Torre de laCalahorraLa Torre de la Calahorra ue un enclave orti-icado y aislado situado en la orilla izquierda

    del Guadalquivir que encabezaba el PuenteRomano desde el siglo X para la deensa dela ciudad desde el lanco sur. En origen, sloestaba compuesta por un arco de herraduraapuntada lanqueado por dos torres anexas.Su estructura actual es ruto de intervencionesposteriores y en particular la ordenada por el

    rey Enrique II de Trastmara en 1369. Tras serutilizada como crcel en el siglo XVIII y comoescuela emenina en el XIX, ue declaradamonumento histrico-artstico en 1931 y res-taurada en 1954. Desde 1987 acoge el MuseoVivo de al-Andalus, que a travs de 8 salas ygracias a un espectculo de multivisin mues-tra a los visitantes un resumen de la historia

    de al-Andalus, haciendo especial hincapi en

    named Enmedio or Jesus Maria, another Don Tello or Papalo Tierno and finally San Antonio,all of them dating from the twelfth century. Unlike the other mills located in the Guadalquivir

    river, the San Antonio mill was used exclusively for grinding grain, and was never employed forother common uses such as fulling or generating electricity. In the 1960s, the San Antonio Millwas used as a small shipyard where wooden boats were built like the ferry boats used to crossthe Guadalquivir River from the pier near the Martos Mill. The mill also provides an excellentlookout over the natural park known as the Albolafia Woodlands, which was declared a NaturalMonument because of its great importance as a breeding site and observation point for birds. Itis planned to convert the old mill soon into a visitors centre for this unique natural area of 21.36hectares, home to a wide variety of birdlife and a stopping-off point for many migratory species.3. The Living Museum of al-Andalus. Calahorra Tower.The Calahorra Tower was a fortified outpost on the left hand bank of the Guadalquivir, which, from

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    21/88

    21

    la coexistencia pacica y la mutua ecundacin entre las tres culturas(cristiana, islmica y juda) que convivieron en la Crdoba medieval.En el interior es posible contemplar una maqueta de la Mezquita an-tes de que se construyera la Catedral en su interior.

    4. Puente RomanoEste puente, de origen romano, situado en el primer punto navegabledel ro Guadalquivir desde su desembocadura, confiri a la ciudad unasituacin estratgica que se materializara en la capitalidad de la Bticaromana y, ms tarde, del al-Andalus musulmn.La imagen heredada del primer, y durante siglos nico, puente de la ciu-dad es en realidad producto de un sinf n de intervenciones, la ltima de

    ellas la restauracin acometida en 2008. Mandado construir por las au-toridades romanas de Corduba, el puente se encontraba en un ruinosoestado a la llegada de las tropas musulmanas.Por ese motivo, su restauracin fue una de las primeras actuaciones p-blicas llevadas a cabo en Qurtuba, si bien la transformacin ms impor-tante lleg de la mano del emir Al Hakam II.En el centro del puente y sobre uno de sus pretiles se encuentra una esta-tua de San Rafael, realizado en 1651 por Bernab Gmez del Ro, prime-

    ro de la serie de triunfos que la ciudad dedicara a su santo custodio.

    the tenth century onwards, guarded the Roman bridge and defended the city against attacks fromthe south. Originally, it only consisted of a single horseshoe arch flanked by two adjoined towers. Its

    present structure is the result of subsequent reforms, especially the rebuilding work ordered by KingHenry II of Trastamara in 1369. After being used as a prison in the eighteenth century and as a schoolfor girls in the nineteenth, it was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1931 and restored in 1954.Since 1987, it has housed the Living Museum of al-Andalus, which over 8 rooms, guides visitors bymeans of an audiovisual show through a brief history of al-Andalus, with special emphasis on thepeaceful coexistence and mutual exchanges between the three cultures (Christian, Islamic andJewish) who lived in medieval Cordoba. The museum contains a scale model showing the Mosquebefore the cathedral was built inside it.4. The Roman BridgeThis bridge was built in Roman times at the first fordable point in the river from its mouth, and

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    22/88

    22

    5. Lavatorios de la Mezquita Aljama(Hotel Conquistador)El Hotel Conquistador, ubicado en la calle Magistral Gonzlez Fran-cs, rente a la Mezquita, conserva en su interior parte del lavatorio

    mandado construir por Almanzor como anexo a la Mezquita Aljamaen el ao 999. Se trata de las dependencias dedicadas a la ablucin(aseo ritual antes de la oracin) obligada para los ieles antes de entraren la Mezquita para rezar. Su descubrimiento durante la construc-cin del hotel supuso un verdadero hallazgo para la Arqueologa, quehasta entonces no contaba con pruebas sicas de la existencia de loslavatorios de la Mezquita Aljama. El lavatorio, nico en toda Europa,es de planta rectangular (16 por 28 metros) y est construido a basede grandes sillares de piedras y dotado con una compleja inraestruc-tura hidrulica, visible gracias al suelo acristalado que se ha colocadoen una de las salas del hotel.

    6. Calleja del PaueloRincones como la calleja del Pauelo denotan la huella islmica enla estructura urbana de la medina, ya que se trata de un ejemplo

    perecto de azuc o azucaque, estrechos callejones sin salida que seintroducen dentro de las manzanas para dar acceso a las dierentesviviendas que hay en su interior. La calleja Pedro Ximnez, conocidapopularmente como la calleja del Pauelo por ser esa su medida en

    lent the city a strategic advantage which must have helped it become the Roman capital of Anda-lusia and, later, of the Muslim al-Andalus.

    The traditional image of what was for many centuries the only bridge in the city is in fact the productof countless reforms, the latest undertaken in 2008. Commissioned by the Roman authorities inCorduba, the bridge was in a dilapidated state when the Muslim troops arrived.For that reason, one of the first public works undertaken in Qurtuba was to rebuild it, although themost important transformation was carried out later by Emir Al-Hakam II.In the middle of the bridge, on one of the parapets, stands a statue of San Rafael, sculpted in 1651 by Barna-bas Gomez del Rio, the first series of statues known as triumphs that the city dedicated to its patron saint.5. Ablution halls of the Mosque (Hotel Conquistador)The Hotel Conquistador, situated in Calle Magistral Gonzlez Francs, opposite the Mosque,preserves within part of the ablution halls built by Almanzor adjoining Mosque in the year

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    23/88

    23

    el punto ms estrecho, al inal, se expande terminando en una plazoleti-lla. En ella, entre jazmines y naranjos, existe una uente adosada con pila

    cermica a imitacin de brocal rabe envolviendo la tranquilidad deeste lugar con el ruido del agua y convirtindolo en un lugar mgico.

    7. Calleja de las FloresPor sus vistas a la torre de la Mezquita, es el ejemplo ms amoso deazucaque islmico, y, sin duda, el ms otograiado. Sin embargo, per-maneci cerrado hasta mediados del siglo pasado, cuando ue adornadacon los arquillos que hoy se pueden observar, as como con la construc-cin de una uente por parte del arquitecto Vctor Escribano Ucelay.

    999. These rooms were used for the ablutions (ritual washing before prayer) which the faithfulwere obliged to carry out before entering the Mosque to pray. Their discovery during the cons-

    truction of the hotel was an exciting archaeological find, since it was the first physical evidenceof the existence of the Mosques ablution facilities. The room, unique in Europe, is rectangular(16m x 28m) and is built of large stone blocks and fitted with a complex hydraulic system,which is visible through the glass floor in one of the hotel halls.6. The Alley of the HandkerchiefPlaces like the Alley of the Handkerchief are a living reminder of the Islamic heritage inthe urban structure of the medina, and is a perfect example of an azuc or azucaque anarrow dead-end street that was built between blocks of houses to give access to differentliving quarters within. Calleja Pedro Ximnez is also known as the Alley of the Handker-chief because at its narrowest point it is no wider than an outstretched handkerchief. It

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    24/88

    24

    8. Baos de Santa MaraLos baos rabes de Santa Mara, situados en la calle VelzquezBosco (o de las Comedias), constituyen uno de los escasos baospblicos conservados, que ueron muy populares y abundantes

    en la Crdoba calial e incluso perduraron despus de la con-quista cristiana.Se sabe que ueron levantados en poca calial, si bien slo se tienennoticias suyas a partir de la conquista cristiana de Crdoba, cuandoel rey Fernando III orden su cesin a una de las amilias de la ciu-dad. Fue en el siglo XIII, de hecho, cuando los baos adquirieron elnombre de Santa Mara, probablemente por su cercana a la nuevaCatedral, levantada en el interior de la Mezquita Aljama.El monumento incluye un aljibe y tres salas abovedadas correspon-dientes alfrigidarium (baos ros), tepidarium (baos templados) ycaldarium (baos calientes).Adems, perviven en Crdoba los baos de la calle Cara y los de lacalle Carlos Rubio, aunque muy deteriorados. Ninguno de estos dosbaos se pueden visitar por el momento.

    leads to a tiny square at the end, scented with jasmine and orange trees, where a fountaintrickles into an imitation Arabic well, creating a magical mood with nothing but the gent-le splashing of water to break the silence.7. Alley of the FlowersThe stunning view of the tower of the Mosque from this alleyway has made it the best knownexample of an Islamic azucaque, and it is certainly the most commonly photographed.However, it remained closed until the middle of the last century, when it was decorated withthe arches that can be seen today, and a fountain was added by Victor Escribano Ucelay.8. The Baths of Santa MariaThe Arab baths of Santa Maria, located in Calle Velasquez Bosco, are one of the few sur-viving public baths, which were very popular and abundant in the Cordoban Caliphateand even lasted until after the Christian conquest.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    25/88

    25

    9. Calleja de la HogueraSituada entre la calle Cspedes y la calle Deanes, la calleja de laHoguera constituye una singular muestra del urbanismo islmico.En este caso, resultante de la unin de dos azucaques, con una es-

    pecie de plazuela interior que pudiera ser originariamente el patiode alguna casa.

    We know that the baths were built during the Caliphate, although the first documentationwe have is from after the Christian conquest of Cordoba, when King Ferdinand III ordered

    them to be handed over to one of the leading families in the city. It was in the thirteenth century, infact, when the baths were given the name of Santa Maria, probably because of their proximity tothe new cathedral, built in the interior of the Mosque. The monument includes a well and threevaulted rooms which corresponded to the frigidarium (cold baths), tepidarium (warm baths)and caldarium (hot baths).Other baths which survive in the city are those in Calle Cara and Calle Carlos Rubio, althoughthey are in poor condition and neither is open to the public.9. The Alley of the BonfireSituated between Calle Cespedes and Calle Deanes, the Alleyway of the Bonfire is a unique exam-ple of Islamic urban planning, in this case resulting from two azucaques linked together, with a kind

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    26/88

    26

    of small square in between which may originally have been the courtyard of a house.10. The Mosque

    The Mosque of Cordoba, one of the largest in the world, is currently the most important Islamic mo-nument in the West and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on November 1st 1984.The building, as it is known today, held up by 850 columns linked by 365 double arches is theresult of at least five major building works, including the Christian reforms, which eventuallyturned what was the main religious focal point for the public all over al-Andalus into a centreof Catholic worship.With its area of 23,400 square metres, it was the second largest mosque in the world, after theGreat Mosque at Mecca, only to be rivalled later by the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.The Aljama (Great) Mosque of Cordoba was built in 785 by the Umayyad Emir Abd al-RahmanI on the site of the Visigothic Basilica of San Vicente, the remains of which have now been inte-

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    27/88

    27

    grated into the site today following recent archaeological excavations, and was used for Islamicworship from 751 onwards.

    The new mosque, built by reusing the Roman and Visigothic capitals, pillars and blocks from theold Christian church, had eleven naves perpendicular to the prayer wall (al-kiblah) in the centralpart of which was the prayer niche (mihrab).As for the orientation of the kiblah, there are various theories which attempt to explain why thewall does not face Mecca, like other mosques of the Muslim world.Some historians argue that is simply an architectural issue the plot stood in this position andthat was that - while others argue that it was actually built like this on purpose as a symbol of theuniqueness of al-Andalus. However, the most widely accepted theory today is that the main naveof the Mosque follows the orientation of the main street (cardo) in the Patrician Colony of theancient Roman Crdoba, as the archaeological excavations in the city have proved.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    28/88

    28

    10. Mezquita AljamaLa Mezquita Aljama de Crdoba, una de las ms grandes del mundo, esen la actualidad el monumento ms importante del Islam en Occidentey ue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO el 1 denoviembre de 1984.El ediicio, tal y como se conoce hoy da, sustentado sobre 850 colum-

    nas unidas por 365 arcadas de dos pisos es el resultado de al menoscinco grandes intervenciones, incluida la realizada por el Cristianismo,que acab por convertir el que uera el templo religioso y, en gran medi-da, pblico de todo al-Andalus en un centro de culto catlico.Con 23.400 metros cuadrados, ue la segunda mezquita ms grande delmundo en supericie, por detrs de la ubicada en la Meca, siendo sloalcanzada posteriormente por la Mezquita Azul de Estambul.La Mezquita Aljama o mayor de Crdoba ue ediicada en el 785

    por el emir omeya Abd al-Rahman I sobre el solar de la visigoda

    A few years later, the Emir Hisam I gave the mosque ablution halls and a minaret, located a fewmeters south of the present-day tower. However, the first significant extension was carried out

    between the years 840 and 848 by the Emir Abd al-Rahman II. It was then that the Mosque wasextended southwards, adorned with a different set of arches, using columns without bases andthe first Islamic capitals. The decoration of this first expansion is the work of the Emir Muham-mad (852-886), son of Abd al-Rahman II and founder of Madrid, who also restored the faadeof the Gate of San Esteban. The third extension was carried out between the years 951 and 952,when, by order of Abd al-Rahman III, the courtyard was extended and a new minaret was built later to be destroyed and the faade of the prayer niche was reformed. His son, Al-Hakam II,finished off the addition in 962, extending the prayer niche 47 meters further south and establis-hing the current dimensions of the mosque (175 metres).This extension, made between the years 962 and 966, reflects the highest artistic standards of the

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    29/88

    29

    Baslica de San Vicente, usada a partir de 751 para culto islmicoparte de cuyos restos escavados en la primera mitad del siglo pa-sado, han quedado recientemente integrados.La nueva Mezquita, construida reutilizando capiteles, ustes y si-llares romanos y visigodos procedentes del viejo templo cristiano,contaba con once naves perpendiculares al muro de alquibla (la

    quibla), en cuya parte central se sita el mihrab.Sobre la orientacin de la quibla de la Mezquita Aljama existendiversas teoras que tratan de explicar por qu dicho muro no mirahacia la Meca, como ocurre en el resto de mezquitas del mundomusulmn.Hay historiadores que deienden que se debe simplemente a unacuestin arquitectnica que tiene relacin con la orograa del terre-no, mientras otras hiptesis deienden que en realidad ue construido

    as a propsito como smbolo de la singularidad de al-Andalus.

    Caliphate of Cordoba. Despite being a continuation of existing work, the introduction of skylightsat the beginning and end of the central nave made this section into the most delightfully indepen-

    dent and unorthodox part of the whole building. In the tenth century, the two most importantcities in the world were Cordoba, ruled by the Umayyad caliphs, and Constantinople, governedby the Byzantine emperors. Both these powers were conscious of their strength and collaboratedin projects of cultural interest. One such project was the decoration of the mihrab of the Mosque ofCordoba, in the times of Al-Hakam II, with beautiful brightly-coloured mosaics laid over a goldbackground, fashioned on the spot by a team of Byzantine artists sent to the capital of the Ca-liphate. Since then, the mihrab has been considered a masterpiece of marble, stucco and Byzan-tine mosaics. At this time, public building had a more marked propaganda purpose than ever.This aim was to the forefront in the renewal of the decoration of the facades and the constructionof one dome in the central nave, in the space occupied by the first mihrab, and another three that

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    30/88

    30

    Sin embargo, la teora ms aceptada hoy da es que la nave principalde la Mezquita sigue la orientacin de la calle principal (cardo) de laantigua Crdoba Romana (Colonia Patricia), como se ha atestigua-do en las excavaciones arqueolgicas realizadas en la ciudad.

    Pocos aos despus, el emir Hisam I dota a la Mezquita de lavatorioy alminar, situado algunos metros al sur de la torre que se conoceen la actualidad. No obstan-te, la primera ampliacin im-portante se lleva a cabo entrelos aos 840 y 848 por el emirAbd al-Rahman II. Entonces,la Mezquita crece hacia el surcon una arquera dierente enla que desaparecen las basasde las columnas y aparecen losprimeros capiteles islmicos.La ornamentacin de esta pri-mera ampliacin es obra delemir Muhammad (852-886),

    hijo de Abd al-Rahman II yundador de Madrid, quienrestaura tambin la achada dela Puerta de San Esteban.La tercera ampliacin se rea-liza entre los aos 951 y 952,cuando, por orden de Abd

    al-Rahman III se ampla el pa-tio en el que se construye unnuevo alminar y se reorma laachada del oratorio. Su hijoAl-Hakam II concluye la am-pliacin en el 962, creciendo eloratorio 47 metros ms haciael sur y marcando el lmite ac-tual del templo (175 metros).

    still stand above the mihrab to this day. These domes, with their use of interlocking arches andrich ornamentation, are three of the highlights of a visit to the Mosque.

    The final expansion took place three decades later, when Hisam IIs first minister, Almanzor,ordered the area of the mosque to be doubled, so that it increased in width to the 128.4 meterswe know today. In this expansion, eight naves were added along the eastern facade of the oldmosque, leaving the alignment of the mihrab considerably off-centre.The Mosque of Cordoba consists of one large hall for performing the salat (prayer) and an opencourtyard almost as big as the hall of the salat; for this reason, the faithful gathered to pray in thecourtyard when the hall was already full.In the present-day Orange-Tree Courtyard, a result of the successive enlargements of the originalIslamic courtyard, rows of orange trees continue the sensation produced by the forest of columnsinside the building, whose naves originally opened directly into the courtyard, so that the light

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    31/88

    31

    Esta ampliacin realizada entre los aos 962 y 966, releja el nivel ar-tstico ms alto del Caliato de Crdoba. A pesar de dar continuidad ala obra preexistente, la introduccin de lucernarios en el inicio y inalde la nave central contribuy a llevar a cabo la parte ms exquisita, au-

    tnoma y heterodoxa del conjunto. En el siglo X, las dos ciudades msimportantes del mundo mediterrneo eran la Crdoba gobernada

    por los calias Omeyas y la Constantinopla de los emperadores deBizancio. Conscientes ambos poderes de su solidez colaboraron enproyectos culturales de sumo inters. Uno de ellos ue la decoracindel mihrab de la Mezquita de Crdoba, en tiempos de Al-HakamII, con unos bellsimos mosaicos brillantemente coloreados sobreondo de oro, realizados in situ por una delegacin de artistas bizan-tinos enviados a la capital calial. Desde entonces, el mihrab es unajoya de mrmol, estuco y mosaicos bizantinos.

    entered into the prayer hall.The outside wall of the mosque is as thick as a city wall, which emphasises the closed nature of the

    building, isolating it from its surroundings. Of all the doors, those known as the Gate of San Estebanand the Gate of Deanes are the only ones which have survived in their original state, while the restwere rebuilt at the beginning of the sixteenth century or were restored at a later date.Most of the Arab minaret is still preserved, embedded within the existing tower; built by Abd al Rah-man III, it remained unchanged until the Renaissance, when a set of bells was added. Thereafter,problems of stability meant that the Arabic minaret had to be encased in a sturdier stone construc-tion in the mid-seventeenth century. In 1664, the tower was crowned with an image of San Rafael.To understand the Mosque as it has survived to these days, it is important to know how thebuilding was changed after the Christian conquest of the city. After the Christians took the cityin 1236, the building began to be re-used as a church, with minimal alterations being made.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    32/88

    32

    En esta poca, la obra pblica tiene un in propagandstico ms

    marcado que nunca. Ese objetivo preside la renovacin de la de-coracin de las achadas y la construccin de una cpula en lanave central, en el mismo espacio ocupado por el primer mihrab,y otras tres que coronan el actual. Esas cpulas son tres de los ele-mentos ms destacados de la Mezquita Aljama, por la utilizacinde arcos entrecruzados y una rica ornamentacin.La ltima ampliacin llegara tres dcadas despus, cuando el

    primer ministro de Hisam II, Almanzor, ordena duplicar la su-pericie de la Mezquita anterior creciendo su anchura hasta los128,4 metros actuales. En esa ampliacin se aaden ocho naveslongitudinales sobre la achada oriental de la antigua Mezquita,provocando un descentramiento del eje del mihrab.La Mezquita de Crdoba consta de una sala para realizar el sa-lat(oracin) y un patio abierto casi tan grande como es estanciaprincipal; esto se explica porque originariamente los creyentes se

    reunan en el patio para orar cuando la sala ya estaba llena.

    The area of the mosque became property of the town council after the Christian conquest- in 1489, the first Gothic nave was built, and in 1523, they ordered the cathedral to be

    built. Right in the middle, under the central dome of the skylight where the expansion of Al-Hakam II began, 63 columns were removed to make way for the cathedral, which took threecenturies to build and decorate.It is said that when Emperor Charles V visited Cordoba, he commented, with great concern: IfI had known what we had here, I would have never dared to touch the old building. You havedestroyed something unique in the world to build something you can find anywhere.11. The SabatThe centres of power, both spiritual (the Mosque) and political (the Alcazar, or For-tress) in Islamic Qurtuba were inextricably linked, not only symbolically, but alsoliterally. From the faade of the Mosque, in the present-day Calle Torrijos, near the

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    33/88

    33

    Gate of San Miguel, a raised walkway, or sabat, was built in the late tenth centuryto join it mosque to the royal residence, the Alcazar, by which the Emirs and Caliphs

    were able to attend religious services without leaving the palace.The remains of the foundations of the sabat, dating from the years 970-972, wererecently discovered by archaeologists, although this one was the second sabat to bebuilt, and nothing remains of the earlier one.It had two parts, one visible from the outside, consisting of a bridge supported bythree arches crossing the road, allowing normal traffic to pass below, and anotherpart hidden inside the mosque, behind the wall of the quibla (direction of prayer).The passageway was divided into eight sections, five in the mosque and three on thebridge, with simple vaults in the ceilings and divided by eight doors clad in bronzeand iron. The light came from windows with lattice-work blinds.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    34/88

    34

    En el actual Patio de los Naranjos, resultado de las sucesivas amplia-

    ciones del primitivo patio islmico, las hileras de naranjos prolongan lasensacin que produce el bosque de columnas interior, cuyas naves, enorigen, se abran directamente al patio, de tal manera que la luz entrabaen la sala de oraciones.El exterior de la Mezquita es una autntica muralla que establece el ca-rcter cerrado del ediicio, aislndolo de su entorno. De todas las puer-tas, las conocidas como Puerta de los Deanes y de San Esteban son las

    nicas que se conservan en su estado original, mientras que el resto sereormaron a principios del siglo XVI o ueron modiicadas en poste-riores intervenciones.Imbuido dentro de la actual torre se conserva la mayor parte del alminarrabe, construido por Abd al Rahman III y que permaneci inalteradahasta el Renacimiento, cuando se le aadi en cuerpo de campanas.Posteriormente, problemas de estabilidad obligaron a enundar el almi-nar rabe en una construccin ms robusta a mediados del siglo XVII.En 1664, la torre se coron con la imagen de San Raael.

    At the eastern end of the corridor was the door to the maqsura (the Caliphs prayerchamber), situated to the right of the mihrab and decorated with mosaics. The ins-

    criptions indicate its function: The Imam al-Mustansir, al-Hakam, Prince of Belie-vers, ordered his chamberlain Yafar to build this entrance to his place of prayer.Nowadays, this section survives as part of the Mosque, with the entrance door to themaqsura and the door where it joined the bridge, now visible from the street, at theend of the western wall, and the foundations of one of the arches are marked by aplaque on the floor.12. The Andalusi Palace (Episcopal Palace)The Alcazar, a fortress which had previously served as a palace for the Visigothickings, was the residence of the early Islamic rulers and the centre of political, reli-gious and economic power in al-Andalus between the eighth and the beginning of

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    35/88

    35

    Para entender la Mezquita tal y como ha llegado a la actualidad es ne-cesario conocer la intervencin realizada tras la conquista cristiana dela ciudad en 1236, momento en que se acomete su reutilizacin comorecinto sacro sin apenas alteraciones.

    En 1489 se abre la primera nave gtica y, en 1523, el cabildo de Cr-doba ordena la construccin de la Catedral, al pasar a sus manos elterreno de la Mezquita tras inalizar la conquista cristiana. Para ellose retiraron 63 columnas a in de construir una Catedral exactamenteen el medio de ella, bajo la bveda central del lucernario en la quecomienza la ampliacin de Al-Hakam II. Su ediicacin y decoracinse prolongara durante tres siglos.Se cuenta que cuando el emperador Carlos V visit Crdoba manies-t, muy aectado: Si hubiera sabido lo que aqu haba, no me habraatrevido nunca a tocar el viejo ediicio. Habis destruido lo que eranico en el mundo para colocar algo que hay en todas partes!.

    the eleventh centuries. It was a huge building that occupied what is now the BishopsPalace, the San Pelagio Seminary, part of the Fortress of the Christian Monarchsand the area known as Campo Santo de los Mrtires.As far as the archaeological investigations in this area have discovered, the Alcazarcovered around 39,000 square metres and was flanked by a wall in which therewere at least six gateways, of which no remains survive.The Alcazar was planned as a large group of buildings assigned to display areas,administrative departments and work areas. From contemporary records, it isknown that it housed a famous library founded by the Caliph Al Hakam II. Duringhis reign, he sent emissaries to the Islamic East in search of manuscripts to stockthe extensive library, which was considered one of the most important of the MiddleAges, but which unfortunately perished in a fire. According to Ibn Hazm, it was

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    36/88

    36

    11. SabatLos centros espiritual (Mezquita Aljama) y poltico (Alczar) dela Qurtuba islmica estaban unidos de orma inseparable, no slosimblicamente, sino en sentido literal. En la achada exterior de

    la Mezquita, en la actual calle Torrijos, y junto a la actual Puertade San Miguel, se levant a inales del siglo X un sabat o pasadizoelevado que comunicaba directamente el templo con la residenciareal, el Alczar, y que permita a los emires y calias asistir a losoicios religiosos sin salir de palacio.Los restos de los cimientos del sabat, datado en los aos 970-972,fueron descubiertos recientemente por la arqueologa. Es el se-gundo sabat del que se tiene noticia, porque del primero, cons-truido anteriormente, no quedan restos.

    estimated to contain around a hundred thousand volumes, and more manuscriptswere constantly added, meticulously copied out by female calligraphers who wor-

    ked in the palace every day.In addition, the fortress, which had spectacular gardens, was used as a cemeter y forthe Emirs and Caliphs families.In front of the Alcazar, there was a large esplanade that reached up to the wall,overlooking the river. The north and east-facing walls of the Andalusi fortress sur-vive to this day, now part of the Episcopal Palace, as do the towers, which were builtinto the Renaissance faade of the palace. In a small courtyard adjoining the maincourtyard of Congress Palace, part of the original Alcazar walls can still be seen.13. The Albolafia Water WheelThe water mills near the Roman Bridge and the weir that links them (the Culeb Weir) were

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    37/88

    37

    Tena dos partes, una visible desde el exterior, consistente en unpuente apoyado en tres arcos que salvaba la calle, lo que permitael trnsito normal por la calzada, y otra parte oculta en el interiorde la Mezquita, detrs del muro de la alquibla.

    En el extremo oriental del corredor se abra la puerta a la maqsura,situada a la derecha del mihrab y decorada con mosaicos. Las ins-cripciones indican su uncin: El imn al-Mustansir, Al-Hakam,Prncipe de los Creyentes, mand hacer este acceso a su lugar deoracin a su chambeln Yaar.En la actualidad, pervive la parte integrada en la Mezquita, con la puertade acceso a la maqsura y la puerta donde se una el puente, visible hoydesde la calle, en el extremo del muro occidental, as como los cimientosde los arcos, cuyos contornos estn sealados con marcas en el suelo.

    already mentioned in the twelfth century Arab sources. The most important of them was theAlbolafia water wheel, built in 1136-1137 by the Almoravid Emir Tasufin, son of Caliph Ali

    ibn Yusuf, to channel water to the Andalusi fortress. It is an impressive piece of engineeringthat continued working until the early twentieth century, though not always with the samefunction, and consists of a main wheel, measuring 15 metres in diameter, equipped with buc-kets or hollow receptacles to collect water; a support built from stone blocks to withstand risingflood waters from the river and a channel to catch the water, supporting a complex system ofarches reminiscent of those used by the Romans to build their aqueducts.According to historians, Queen Isabel the Catholic Queen, weary of the noise of the wheelgoing round during her stay in the nearby Fortress of the Christian Monarchs, ordered it to bedismantled in the fifteenth century. What we can see today is only a modern reconstruction.Since the fourteenth century, the Albolafia has appeared on the citys coat of arms, and later,

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    38/88

    38

    12. Alczar andalus (Palacio Episcopal)El Alczar andalus, un recinto ortaleza que haba sido palacio delos reyes visigodos, ue residencia de los primeros gobernadoresislmicos y centro del poder poltico, religioso y econmico de al-Andalus entre el siglo VIII y comienzos del siglo XI. Era un gran

    ediicio que ocup todo el ngulo suroeste de la Madina, incluyendolo que hoy es el Palacio Episcopal, el Seminario de San Pelagio, partedel Alczar de los Reyes Cristianos y la zona conocida como CampoSanto de los Mrtires.Segn han podido constatar las investigaciones arqueolgicas en lazona, el Alczar se extendi sobre unos 39.000 metros cuadrados yestuvo lanqueado por una muralla en la que se abran al menos seis

    puertas de las que no se conservan restos.El Alczar estaba conigurado como un gran grupo de ediicios de-dicados a la representacin, la administracin y reas de trabajo.De la documentacin escrita de la poca se ha podido deducir laexistencia de una amosa biblioteca undada por el calia Al -HakamII. Durante su mandato, envi emisarios por el Oriente islmico enbusca de manuscritos para la creacin de su extenssima biblioteca,considerada como una de las ms importantes de la Edad Media, que

    desgraciadamente se perdi en un incendio. Cirada aproximada-

    on the emblem of the Town Hall, which also contains the Roman Bridge.The Andalusian Arabs mastery of hydraulic engineering is also evident in the development

    and improvement made in Qurtuba of the infrastructure built in previous centuries under theRoman Republic and Empire. Other examples of new buildings in the Islamic city still surviveto this day, such as the water cisterns which were discovered in the area of San Rafael de laAlbaida, one of which has been conserved on a roundabout on the city ring road.14. Fortress of the Christian MonarchsAccording to recent research, after the conquest of the city, Fernando III reserved thesouthwest corner of Andalus fortress as a site for the royal residence. During the reignof Alfonso XI The Bringer of Justice, this area was extended and took on the familiarappearance of the castle we know to this day.From 1482 onwards, it was headquarters of the troops of the Catholic Monarchs. For

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    39/88

    39

    mente en ms de cien mil volmenes segn describe Ibn Hazm, seengros con ttulos reproducidos meticulosamente por un serviciode mujeres calgraas que trabajaba diariamente en palacio.Adems, el Alczar, que cont con importantes zonas ajardinadas,

    sirvi de cementerio a la amilia de emires y calias. Delante de haconstatado que exista una qran esplanada que llegaba hasta la mu-ralla, dominando el cauce de Guadalquivir.Del Alczar Andalus subsisten parte de los muros de cierre norte yoriental, integrados en el Palacio Episcopal, al igual que los torreo-nes, incorporados en la achada renacentista del palacio. En un pati-nillo anexo al patio principal del Palacio de Congresos an se puedeobservar parte de los lienzos originales del ediicio.

    13. Noria de la AlbolafiaLos molinos hidrulicos cercanosal Puente Romano y el azud quelos une (Azud de Culeb) apare-cen ya citados en uentes rabesdel siglo XII. El ms importante

    ue la noria de la Albolaia, man-dada construir en 1136-1137 porel emir almorvide Tasuin, hijodel calia Ali ibn Yusu, con el ob-jetivo de canalizar el agua hasta elAlczar andalus.Se trata de una imponente obrade ingeniera que ha unciona-do hasta principios del siglo XX,aunque no siempre con la mis-ma uncin, y que consta de unarueda principal de 15 metros dedimetro dotada de cangiloneso llantas huecas para recoger elagua; un soporte construido a

    base de sillares para resistir las

    10 years, they planned here the strategy for the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada,the last Muslim stronghold in Spain, and the monarchs spent long days in the Alca-

    zar, where they received Christopher Columbus. It is also rumoured that the Moorishking of Granada, Boabdil, was kept prisoner here.In 1482 the building passed into the hands of the Tribunal of the Inquisition, whichhad its headquarters here until the Inquisition was abolished by the Cadiz Parlia-ment in 1812. It is from this that the Tower of the Inquisition, built in the mid-fifte-enth century, gets its name.15. Caliphal BathsAccording to contemporary records, Qurtuba had over 600 public baths, of which onlyfive survive to this day, dating from between the early tenth and late fourteenth centuries.Built in the style of Roman baths, these facilities had an important social function as

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    40/88

    40

    crecidas del ro y un canal para lacaptacin del agua que sostieneun complejo sistema de arquerasque recuerda al empleado por la

    civilizacin romana en la cons-truccin de sus acueductos.Segn la historia, la noria uemandada desmontar en el sigloXV por la Reina Isabel la Cat-lica, que durante su estancia enel cercano Alczar de los ReyesCristianos no poda soportar elruido de la noria al girar. En la ac-tualidad slo es posible contem-plar una reconstruccin de pocareciente.La Albolaia orma parte desde elsiglo XIV del escudo de la ciudadde Crdoba, y posteriormente

    del logotipo municipal, en el quetambin est presente el PuenteRomano.El dominio de la ingeniera hi-drulica andalus se revela igual-mente en el aprovechamiento ymejora que Qurtuba hizo de lasinraestructuras construidas porel Imperio y la Repblica romanasiglos antes en la ciudad. Ademsan se conservan otros ejemplosde nuevas construcciones islmi-cas en la ciudad como los aljibesaparecidos en las obras de cons-

    truccin de la Ronda de Poniente, uno de ellos conservado en una

    rotonda de la barriada de San Raael de la Albaida.

    meeting and leisure areas for both men and women, although they were never used at thesame time shared by both sexes.Arabic baths were built around five basic rooms, whose ceilings were studded with smallstar-shaped skylights: the changing room, the cold room, the warm room, the hot roomand the room for heating the water and storing firewood.Of the baths which have survived to this day, the best example is located in theCampo Santo de los Mrtires, which was fully restored in 2002 and formed part ofthe Andalus fortress. These baths were reserved exclusively for the use of the royalfamily and the changing room may well have been, according to historians, a repro-duction of the throne room. It was also fitted with a mihrab (prayer-niche).Its structure is organized around four rooms with vaulted ceilings and star-shapedskylights , one of which has been reconstructed. The Caliphal Baths lay buried below

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    41/88

    41

    14. Alczar de los Reyes CristianosSegn las ltimas investigaciones, tras la conquista de la ciudad,Fernando III el Santo se reserv el ngulo suroccidental del Alc-zar andalus para la implantacin de una residencia real. En el rei-

    nado de Alonso XIEl Justiciero se ampla y adquiere la isonomade castillo con la que ha llegado a nuestros das.A partir de 1482 ue Cuartel General de las tropas de los Reyes Ca-tlicos. Durante 10 aos, desde el Alczar se organiz la estrategiade la conquista del Reino de Granada, ltimo reducto islmico enEspaa, permaneciendo los monarcas prolongadas jornadas en elAlczar, donde recibieron a Cristbal Coln. Se cuenta que en estelugar permaneci preso el rey moro de Granada Boabdil.En 1482 pas a manos del Tribunal de la Inquisicin, que tuvo allsu sede hasta su abolicin por las Cortes de Cdiz en 1812. De ahla Torre de la Inquisicin, construida a mediados del siglo XV.

    the modern street level and were excavated between 1961 and 1964.16. The Seville GateAccording to the sources, there were a total of seven gateways to the city walls of theMedina, one of which was the Seville Gate (Bab al-Ishbiliya), also known as the Gateof the Droguera a shop selling cleaning products - (Bab al-Attarine), since it wasthe entrance to this section of the souk. However, the Seville Gate mentioned in thechronicles has little to do with the one we know today the earlier gate is thought tohave been situated next to the Royal Stables in the stretch of wall before the entranceto the Alczar Viejo district, popularly known as San Basilio in Christian times.After the creation of this district and the subsequent extension of the city and thewest wall, a new city gate was needed. This gate was later demolished, but it wasrebuilt in the mid-twentieth century.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    42/88

    42

    15. Baos CalifalesQurtuba lleg a contar, segnlos textos de la poca, conms de de 600 baos pbli-

    cos, de los que en la actuali-dad slo se conservan cincoechados entre la segundamitad del siglo X y primeradel XIV. Al estilo de las ter-mas romanas, estas instala-ciones desempearon unaimportante uncin socialcomo espacios de encuentroy ocio, tanto para hombrescomo para mujeres, aunquesu uso nunca uera compar-tido por ambos sexos.Los baos rabes se constru-yeron en torno a cinco instalaciones bsicas cubiertas por bvedas

    con pequeas lucernarios en orma de estrellas: el vestuario, la salara, la sala templada, la caliente y la sala dedicada al calentamientodel agua y al almacenaje de la lea.De los baos conservados, el mejor ejemplo se encuentra situadoen el Campo Santo de los Mrtires, que ormaron parte del Alc-zar andalus. Se trat, pues, de una instalacin dedicada en exclu-siva al uso de la amilia real. Fueron descubierto en 1903, aunqueno ue hasta 2002 cuando ueron recuperados en su totalidad.El conjunto hoy excavado se compone de dos ncleos claramentedierenciados. El ala este, datada en el siglo X, responde a la distri-bucin clsica de baos caliales, con prtico, vestuario, salas ra,templada y caliente; caldera, horno y accesos de servicio. Estoselementos estn directamente relacionados con el Alczar Calial.El ala oeste corresponde a los baos postcaliales, conigurados alo largo de los siglos XI, XII y XIII, durante los periodos de Taias

    y de dominacin almorvide y almohade.

    Today, beside the gate stands a bronze sculpture made in 1963 by Matthew RuizOlmos commemorating the ninth centenary of the death of the poet Ibn Hazm, ca-

    rrying in his hand a scroll with his most famous work: The Doves Collar.17. The Gate of AlmodvarCordoba was known by some chroniclers of the time as The City of the Seven Gates.The number of gates reflected the importance of the city, as well as linking them with themost important cities nearby. The Gate of Almodvar, called Bab al-Yawz (The WalnutTree Gate), and later as The Gate of the Jews (Bab al-Yahud), was built in the fourteenthcentury and underwent major reforms in the sixteenth, was later restored in 1802 and,more recently, in the 1960s.It is the only surviving example of the great Medieval gateways from the original citywalls, which were knocked down one by one in the late eighteenth century and finished off

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    43/88

    43

    16. Puerta de SevillaLas uentes identiican un total de siete puertas en el recinto amu-rallado de la medina, entre las que cita la Puerta de Sevilla (Bab al-Ishbiliya), conocida tambin como Puerta de los Drogueros (Bab

    al-Attarin) por ser puerta de entrada a esta seccin del Zoco. Sinembargo, la Puerta de Sevilla que citan los textos poco tiene quever con la que conocemos en la actualidad, pues se cree que estabaubicada junto a las Caballerizas Reales, en la entrada del barrio delAlczar Viejo, conocido popularmente como barrio de San Basilio,de poca cristiana.La creacin del barrio y la consiguiente extensin de la ciudad yla muralla hacia el oeste hicieron necesario abrir una nueva puertapara la ciudad. Esta puerta ue reconstruida a mediados del sigloXX, tras haber sido demolida.Junto a la puerta actual se puede observar una escultura en broncerealizada en 1963 por Amadeo Ruiz Olmos en conmemoracin delnoveno centenario de la muerte del poeta Ibn Hazm, portando en lamano un rollo con su obra ms conocida: El collar de la paloma.

    in the nineteenth. It consists of two prism-shaped towers joined by a gently pointed archwhich forms the vault. The arch was filled in in the nineteenth century by a wall with alintelled door. The stretch of city wall next to it dates from Arabic times.18. Andalusi HouseAt Calle Judios N12, the former home of painter Rafael Boti, stands a small domestic mu-seum known as Casa Andalus (The Andalusi House). The building, dating from the twelfthcentury, recreates domestic life and the introspective lifestyle of the inhabitants of Qurtuba.One of the most interesting aspects of the tour focuses on the manufacture of paper in theCordoban Caliphate, where the complex process of making this material is shown.The house, adjoining the walls of the Medina, preserves the internal walkway featured inmany of the houses in this street, which divided the house from the city wall. In the basement,a Visigothic bas-relief was discovered along with a number of other archaeological remains,

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    44/88

    44

    17. Puerta de AlmodvarCrdoba fue conocida por algunos cronistas de la poca como La Ciu-dad de las Siete Puertas. El nmero de puertas indicaba la importancia dela ciudad, adems de unirla con las urbes ms importantes del entorno.

    La puerta de Almodvar, llamada Bab al-Yawz o puerta del Nogal, esde orgen romano, aunque en su estado actual corresponde a la pocaomeya. Suri una importante reorma en el siglo XVI, siendo restaura-da posteriormente en 1802 y, ms recientemente, en los aos 60.Se trata del nico ejemplo superviviente de entre las grandes puertasmedievales abiertas en la muralla deensiva de la ciudad, que surieruna destruccin sistemtica a inales del siglo XIX.El lienzo de la muralla que la acompaa es de poca andalus sobre un-

    damentos romanos.

    which testify to the mixture of civilizations which occurred in this city. As for the house struc-ture, it may previously have formed part of a larger and earlier Islamic house, with walls

    made from a mixture of brick and stone.19. Municipal SoukIn the tenth century city, there were as many souks as there were districts, but the most important ofall was the one known as the Great Souk, situated to the west of the fortress, the present-day districtof Alczar Viejo, where the most important trading activities took place. Inside, all kinds of tradeswere plied, with the silk traders and perfumers taking pride of place.According to the written records, the souk located in the vicinity of the Great Mosque was burntdown by a huge fire, and, although after the incident happened in the year 936 another market wasbuilt on the opposite side of the city, products known in the Mediterranean for their high quality,such as velvet fabrics, wool, felt, silk, local delicacies and beverages, continued to be sold here.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    45/88

    45

    18. Museo Casa AndalusEn el nmero 12 de la calle Judos, en la que uera la casa del pintorRaael Bot, se erige un pequeo museo domstico conocido comoCasa Andalus. En el ediicio, echado en el siglo XII, se recrea lavida domstica y el estilo de vida intimista de los habitantes deQurtuba. Uno de los aspectos ms interesantes del recorrido secentra en la abricacin del papel en la Crdoba calial, donde semuestran los elementos propios del complejo proceso de elabora-cin de este material.Esta casa, adosada a la muralla de la medina, conserva el adarveinterno que distingue a gran parte de las casas de esta calle, que

    separaba las viviendas de la muralla.

    Between Calle Judios and Calle Averroes, in one of the courtyards of the old Casa de las Bulas,stands the modern-day Municipal Souk, a square occupied by a number of craft workshops that

    produce and sell their products to the public. It is a reproduction of what the Medieval souksof Qurtuba looked like, where artisans worked under the supervision of the market inspector oralmotacn. In fact, the local souk today keeps alive many of the craft traditions inherited from Isla-mic Crdoba, like pottery, silverware and the leatherwork for making the intricate Cordobanes andGuadameces (embossed leather designs). The best way to see a sample of leatherwork is to visit theHouse Museum of Art on Leather in the nearby square Plaza Agrupacin de Cofradas.20. Minaret of San JuanIn the Plaza de San Juan at one end of Calle Sevilla, stands the minaret of an early Islamicmosque built at the end of the ninth century. Built in Caliphate style, this tower was part of theChurch of San Juan de los Caballeros, after the church was transferred to the Order of St. John of

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    46/88

    46

    Jerusalem in 1236. As the only minaret from Qurtuba which has been preserved intact, it is oneof the prime examples of Caliphate art.21. Convent of Santa ClaraThe present-day Convent of Santa Clara, in Calle Rey Heredia, was built about 976 over a for-mer Byzantine basilica. The building, which is set to house the citys future Historical Museum,preserves the minaret built into the convent tower, as well as a portion of the courtyard walls andwhat was once one of the main access doors from the street, featuring a voussoired lintel framedin a blind horseshoe arch, in Calle Osio. Archaeological excavations have discovered, in addition,parts of the mihrab (prayer-niche) and kiblah (prayer wall) inside the convent.22. Alley of the ArchesBased on the philosophy of seeing without being seen, Andalusi houses were often built amida mass of tortuously winding streets that were opened during the day but closed as night fell.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    47/88

    47

    19. Zoco MunicipalEn el siglo X convivieron en la ciudad tantos zocos como arrabales,aunque el ms importante de todos ue el conocido como Zoco Gran-de, situado al oeste del Alczar, actualmente barrio del Alczar Viejo,

    y en el que se realizaban las operaciones comerciales ms importantesde la ciudad. En su interior se desarrollaban todo tipo de oicios, entrelos que destacaban los comerciantes de seda y los perumistas.Los escritos reieren que el zoco ubicado en las proximidades de laMezquita Aljama acab devorado por un gran incendio. Aunque trasel suceso acontecido en el ao 936 se ediic otro mercado en el ladoopuesto de la ciudad, siguieron vendindose productos reconocidospor su gran calidad en el Mediterrneo, como tejidos de terciopelo,lana, ieltro, sedas, manjares y bebidas.Entre las calles Judos y Averroes, en uno de los patios de la antiguaCasa de las Bulas, se encuentra actualmente el Zoco Municipal, en elque se alojan una serie de talleres artesanos que elaboran y venden susproductos de cara al pblico. Se trata de una representacin actual delo que ueran los zocos medievales de Qurtuba, en los que desarro-llaban su actividad los artesanos, bajo la supervisin del almotacn.

    De hecho, en los locales del actual zoco se mantienen viva muchas delas tradiciones artesanales heredadas de la Crdoba islmica, como laalarera, la platera o el trabajo del cuero para la elaboracin de delica-dos cordobanes y guadameces. Para apreciar una muestra de trabajosen cuero, nada mejor que visitar la Casa museo Arte sobre Piel,en la cercana plaza Agrupacin de Coradas.

    20. Alminar de San JuanEn la plaza de San Juan, en uno de los extremos de la calleSevilla, se levanta el alminar de una primitiva mezquitaislmica construida a inales del siglo IX. De estilo calial,esta torre orm parte de la Iglesia de San Juan de los Ca-balleros, tras la cesin del templo a la Orden de San Juande Jerusaln en 1236. Es uno de los mejores exponentesdel arte calial, ya que es el nico alminar intacto conser-

    vado de Qurtuba.

    This narrow passage is in fact one of the few adarves (passages leading to a private house) whichsurvive access was limited in these narrow streets and they were closed at night to protect the re-sidents, given the high level of insecurity in the absence of a municipal police force. Islamic societyrevolved around religion and had no municipal organization, since the city was kept in order bytradition and private enterprise. The Alley of the Arches is also the scene of the old legend of theSeven Princes of Lara, which tells how (although the story has little basis in fact) the heads of sevensons, all nobles killed after a battle in Soria, were sent to their father, Gonzalo Gusti, a prisoner ofAlmanzor, and hung in this alleyway for all to see.23. Archaeological MuseumThe Cordoba Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is located in Plaza Jernimo Pez,in a Renaissance palace that belonged to the family of the Pez of Castillejo.The museum, one of the most important archaeological museums in Spain along with Madrid,

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    48/88

    48

    21. Convento de Santa ClaraEl actual Convento de Santa Clara, en la calle Rey Heredia, seconstruy hacia 976 sobre una primitiva baslica cristiana. El edi-icio, que acoger el uturo Museo Histrico de la ciudad, conserva

    parte del alminar, integrado en la torre del convento, as como unaparte de los muros del patio y la que uera una de las puertas deacceso desde la calle caracterizada por un dintel adovelado que seenmarca en un arco ciego de herradura, en la calle Osio. Excava-ciones arqueolgicas han documentado, adems, parte del mihraby la quibla en el interior del convento.

    22. Calleja de los ArquillosPartiendo de la ilosoa de ver sin ser vistos, la vivienda andalus se in-sertaba en un complejo de calles serpenteantes y tortuosas que perma-necan abiertas durante el da para cerrarse al anochecer. Este estrechopasaje es en realidad uno de los pocos adarves que se conservan y queresponden al modelo de calle estrecha de acceso limitado y cerrado porlas noches para proteger a sus moradores. La sociedad islmica giraba

    en torno a la religin y no contaba con una organizacin municipal, por

    has an exhibition space of six rooms and three courtyards on the ground floor, where there arePrehistoric, Protohistoric, Roman Spain and Visigothic Spain collections. There are also two ro-oms and a gallery on the top floor with Medieval collections, mainly from the Islamic period.Museum rooms VII and VIII show the history of Qurtuba, both on a domestic level, thanks tothe wide range of pottery and other household objects, as well as on a public, administrative andcommercial level.The museum has recently been enlarged, and houses what could be considered the most impor-tant collection of Andalus currency in the world, especially silver coin from the Umayyad era,which was virtually the only currency issued in the Iberian Peninsula between the eighth andninth centuries AD. These hoards of coins, known as tesorillos (little treasures), are an unrivalledsource of information because they include the name and date of the mint, including Caliphs,Kings, Emirs or Sultans, crown princes and other administrative posts.

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    49/88

    49

    lo que la ciudad se rega porla tradicin y por la iniciati-va privada.La calleja de los Arquillos

    es adems el escenario de lavieja leyenda de los Siete In-antes de Lara, segn la cual,y sin que la historiograa leotorgue demasiado crdito,en este callejn ueron ex-puestas las siete cabezas delos nobles tras ser asesinadosen Soria y enviadas a su padre,Gonzalo Gustios, prisionerode Almanzor en Crdoba.

    23. Museo ArqueolgicoEl Museo Arqueolgico y Etnolgico de Crdoba se encuentra enla plaza Jernimo Pez, en un palacio renacentista que perteneci

    a la amilia de los Pez de Castillejo.Es, uno de los museos arqueolgicos ms importantes de Espaajunto con el de Madrid, cuenta con un espacio expositivo ormadopor seis salas y tres patios en la planta baja, donde se presentan lascolecciones de Prehistoria, Protohistoria, Hispanorromano e His-panovisigodo, y dos salas ms una galera en la planta alta dondeestn las colecciones medievales, undamentalmente islmicas.

    Entre las salas VII y VIII del Museo es posible repasar la historiade Qurtuba, tanto a nivel domstico -gracias al amplio catlogo deenseres cermicos y de uso cotidiano-, como pblico, administra-tivo y comercial.El museo, ampliado recientemente, posee la que podra conside-rarse la ms importante coleccin de moneda andalus del mundo,en especial de moneda de plata de la poca omeya, ya que prcti-camente ue la nica moneda que se emiti en la Pennsula Ibrica

    entre los siglos VIII y XI d.C.

    Among the most outstanding examples of Andalusi coinage are the Abd al-Rahman I Dirhamand the Haza del Carmen Treasure, the largest treasure ever found in Western Europe, contai-ning over 30 kilos of coins and fragments from the Caliphate era. Among the Islamic pieces ondisplay in the museum, one of the most striking is the late ninth century Capital of the Musicians,found in the hills above Cordoba and which may have been a decorative element in an Arabicfarmstead; there is also the Madinat al-Zahra Fawn, a small statue which could well have beenused as the spout for a highly decorative fountain of outstanding beauty. An identical fawn is ondisplay in the museum of Qatar.The Andalusian Regional Government (Junta de Andaluca) bought a pottery piece in 2003known as the Little Giraffe of the Caliphate, a figure that formed part of a dining set for one of thepalace-citys wealthy residences and was probably used for serving drinks.In addition, there is a wide variety of everyday or luxury items from the Arab civilization, such as

  • 7/27/2019 GUIA CORDOBA ISLMICA 1 EDICION 2009

    50/88

    50

    Conocidas como tesorillos, son uente de inormacin excepcionalya que estas monedas incluyen el nombre de la ceca y la echa enque se acuaron, nombrando calias, reyes, emires o sultanes, prn-cipes herederos u otros cargos administrativos.

    Entre los ejemplares ms excepcionales del monetario andalus seencuentra el dirham denominado Abd al-Rahman I, as como el Te-soro de Haza del Carmen, el mayor localizado en Europa Occiden-tal con ms de 30 kilos de monedas y ragmentos de poca calial.Entre las piezas islmicas conservadas en el museo, destacan espe-cialmente el Capitel de los Msicos, echado a inales del siglo IX;recuperado en la sierra cordobesa y quizs perteneciente a la de-

    coracin de una almunia, as como el Cervatillo de Madi-nat al-Zahra, posiblemente el surtidor de una uente de

    una belleza extraordinaria y de gran calidad escult-rica y ornamental. Existen cervatillos hermanos

    conservados en el Museo Nacional de Qatar, ascomo en el Museo Arqueolgico de Madrid.La Junta de Andaluca adquiri en 2003